Friday, October 02, 2009

Police kill Rick Perry's cousin in self-defense

MONTAGUE COUNTY, TEXAS – Deputies with the Montague County Sheriff’s Department have shot and killed a cousin of Texas Governor Rick Perry, officials told BNO News on Thursday.

The cousin was identified as 74-year-old Larry Don Wheeler. Montague County District Attorney Jack McGaughey told BNO News that sheriff’s deputies initially responded to a 911 call of shots fired at his home at a Montague County country club on Saturday night.

When two deputies arrived on the scene, Wheeler, who was sitting on his backyard deck, pointed a shotgun at the officers and opened fire. One officer sustained a wound to his hand from the shots, McGaughey said. The officers then returned fire, and fatally shot Wheeler.

It was not immediately clear as to why Wheeler may have decided to open fire. The Texas Rangers, and an investigator from the Montague County District Attorney’s Office is investigating the case. McGaughey said the sheriff’s department is not involved in the investigation.

A spokeswoman for Governor Perry confirmed to BNO News that one of his cousins was killed but had no further information. It was also not clear why the governor did not decide to release the information earlier. Asked if the governor would release a statement, the spokeswoman said she was not sure. She also had no information about the relationship Perry may have had with Wheeler.

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